Students will be introduced to compound subjects and verbs, direct objects, and dictionary skills.  Students will learn the parts of a paragraph including a topic sentence, detail sentences, and a closing sentence.  Students will have specific practice with writing each of these parts before writing their own paragraph at the end of class.  Students will learn about run-on sentences, using specific words, and homophones.  Students will learn how to use a graphic organizer to gather thoughts and write a paragraph on their own.  Finally, students will be introduced to using an editing checklist to self-edit their work.

Time Required:  Approximately 1 ½ – 2 hours per week, plus 1 hour weekly online class time.

Students will work to begin developing the basics of determining purpose, considering audience, and writing clear and coherent sentences and paragraphs that develop a central idea. This class will also help the student to become knowledgeable and comfortable with using their computer so that it may be used as a valuable tool in their education. Students will be learning spelling rules, vocabulary skills and how to use basic reference materials, sentence structure and parts of speech, punctuation, capitalization, basic grammar, writing a complete, coherent, and interesting paragraph that has purpose and considers audience.

Time Required: Approximately 2-3 hours per week, plus 1-hour weekly online class time.

A continuation and progression of Fundamentals of Writing 1. Students will continue to work on the ability to develop purpose, consider audience, and write clear and coherent sentences and paragraphs that develop a central idea. This class will also help the student to become knowledgeable and comfortable with using their computer so that it may be used as a valuable tool in their education. Students will continue to expand their abilities with spelling rules, vocabulary skills and how to use reference materials, sentence structure and parts of speech, punctuation, capitalization, basic grammar, writing a complete, coherent, and interesting paragraph that has purpose and considers audience.

Time Required: Approximately 2-3 hours per week, plus 1-hour weekly online class time.

Students will learn to write interesting and inviting paragraphs using different types of figurative language and literary devices. Using these methods, students will use words to paint a picture of images and events in the mind of their reader. Students will write a paragraph describing a moment in time in addition to other paragraphs that create clear pictures of images, people, and other places important to the writer. Working on focus and specific word use will be emphasized while students continue to work on vocabulary, parts of speech, and sentence structure.

Time required: Approximately 2 to 3 hours per lesson, plus 1-hour online class times as indicated.

Students will learn the basics of creative writing, including the study of specific settings, plots, and characters. Emphasis is placed on descriptive writing, varied sentence structure, thesaurus use, and learning to self-edit.

Time required: Approximately 3-4 hours per week, plus 1 hour weekly online class time.

Students will learn personal event journaling techniques which will generate ideas for writing a short autobiographical account of an event. They will also learn how to write simple interview questions, conduct a short interview, and write a short biographical account of their interviewee. Included will also be instruction on how to write a friendly letter and address a letter. Journaling of daily reading of a book of the student’s choice will be an ongoing part of the class. Focus will continue to be on setting up a paragraph, including topic sentences, details, and closing sentences, as well as basic grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Time Required: Approximately 2-3 hours per week, plus 1-hour weekly online class time.

Students will write for a variety of purposes and audiences, using paragraphs, articles, letters, and poems to express their ideas. Using these formats, students will practice the six traits of quality writing: conventions, sentence fluency, voice, word choice, organization, and ideas. Each week, students will focus on one writing trait, one example of comma usage, and one grammar goal. The class emphasizes the use of graphic organizers as helpful writing tools. The class also offers a review of writing basics and a weekly vocabulary journal.

Time required: Approximately 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 hours per lesson, plus 1-hour online class times as indicated.

Students will gain the ability to do simple research and develop purpose, consider audience, and write clear and coherent sentences and paragraphs into a report that develops and supports a central topic. Students will continue to expand their abilities applying spelling rules, vocabulary skills, punctuation, capitalization, basic grammar, sentence structure, recognition of parts of speech, and use of reference materials.

Time Required: Approximately 3+ hours per week, plus 1-hour weekly online class time.

Students will learn to analyze two differing entities with accuracy and critical thinking. Using this analysis, students will be introduced to a variety of graphic organizers with which they will arrange the information. Students will also explore a variety of concepts including brainstorming, outlining, hooking the reader, selecting and developing main points, creating a meaningful conclusion, and revising and editing strategies.

Time Required: Approximately 3-4 hours per week plus up to 1 hour weekly online class time.

Students will learn the basic elements of storytelling through the classic Hero’s Journey structure. Along with examining plot, character, and setting, the students will craft their own short story from an outline through the final draft. Emphasis is placed on organization of thoughts, bold and active writing, precision of grammar and punctuation, use of the thesaurus and dictionary, and learning to self-edit—skills that will transfer to all forms of writing.

Students will learn to analyze two differing entities with accuracy and critical thinking. Using this analysis, students will be introduced to a variety of graphic organizers with which they will arrange the information. Students will also explore a variety of concepts including brainstorming, outlining, hooking the reader, selecting and developing main points, creating a meaningful conclusion, and revising and editing strategies.

Time Required: Approximately 3-4 hours per week plus up to 1 hour weekly online class time.

Students will develop the ability to write using different patterns of development, as well as strengthening topic sentences and organizing details within the paragraph. We will focus on sentence structure, transitions, cue words, grammar, and action verb usage, all of which will contribute to developing maturity in writing. Students will learn to write a descriptive paragraph, compare-contrast paragraph, characterization paragraph, narrative paragraph, process paragraph, and expository paragraph. Class is usually recommended to be repeated more than once, with more complex assignments each time. This challenging class is highly suitable for all ages from 14 through high school.

Time required: Approximately 4+ hours per week, plus 1 hour weekly online class time.

This challenging class will entail recognizing and writing about the elements of fiction. Additionally, a very challenging grammar focus will be on verbs and conjugating all of the tenses (much more than just present, past and future), as well as understanding tricky verbs and the active and passive voice. Students will be required to complete a book from a specified list PRIOR to the start of class. This class is highly suitable for all ages from 14-18.

Time required: Approximately 4 hours per week, plus 1 hour weekly online class time.

Students will learn various methods, techniques and styles of writing poetry. Each week students will be required to write one or more poems in the style being discussed. Covers poetry aspect of high school literature requirements.

Time required: Approximately 3-4 hours per week, plus 1 hour weekly online class time.

Students will learn to write a research essay. Concepts covered and learned through writing one essay include: punctuation and paragraphing; choosing and narrowing a topic; choosing, documenting and citing resources in parenthetical references; choosing 3 or more main points (subtopics); note taking; using and documenting quotes; writing a thesis statement; writing topic sentences; MLA Format; writing supporting paragraphs; transition sentences; writing an opening paragraph; and writing a closing paragraph. It is recommended that this class be repeated more than once, especially for high school level students.

Time Required: Approximately 4 hours per week, plus 1 hour weekly online class time (as needed). Students will be required to choose topic (from list provided by instructor) and gather resources prior to start of class.

This course can be repeated more than once, since this is a skill that improves with practice.

Students will learn to write an essay of literary analysis. This very challenging class includes learning concepts through writing one essay, and include: punctuation and paragraphing, choosing an aspect of the book to analyze, choosing 3 main points (subtopics), note taking, using and documenting quotes, writing a thesis statement, writing topic sentences, MLA Format, writing supporting paragraphs, transition sentences, writing an opening paragraph, and writing a closing paragraph. This is not a book report.

Time required: Once the class begins, approximately 4 + hours per week, plus 1 hour weekly online class time.

Students will learn to improve their creative writing through the study and use of varied sentence structure, thesaurus use, descriptive writing, point of view, setting, mood, audience, characterization, plot, foreshadowing, suspense, and editing.

Time required: Approximately 3-4 hours per week, plus up to 1 hour weekly online class time.

Do you love to read? Anytime is the best time to choose a book and curl up and read it! Now you can learn how to create MORE than a book report by learning about the different elements of fiction: plot, character, setting, as well as how to write a book review and how to do an author biography. This class is appropriate for all ages and levels of expertise, as you will choose a book for your age level, and your project as complex as you wish. Edits will be required as needed to help ensure your project is in the proper form.

Are you a young, budding poet?  Are you curious about the various kinds of poems and what poetry is?  Or perhaps you need to learn some of the basics but are not ready for the upper-level Poetry class?  If so, then Poetry Project is for you!  This class will serve as an introductory overview unit of poetry and will teach some of the basic poetry forms.  You also will read poems and write basic poetry.  As you practice writing poems in these forms, you will be building your own booklet of poetry.  By the end of the session, you will have created a poetry project portfolio.  This class is appropriate for all ages and levels of expertise, as you will be required to include only the basics but can make your project as complex as you wish. Edits will be required as needed to help ensure poems are in the proper form. Since you will be compiling a portfolio for the poetry project, the final assignment will necessitate some layout (inclusion of pictures or clipart, formatting, etc.) as well.

Students will learn to write short plays for stage production using dialogue, stage directions, characterization, plot structure, conflict, audience, setting, mood, humor and emotion, plot twists, and editing.  Students must have completed Report Writing with very strong writing skills and teacher recommendation, or have completed Paragraph Writing.

Struggling with comma usage? Are you hoping to move forward in the classes we offer, but punctuation and grammar are holding you back? Recognizing subordinate and independent clauses will solve your problems! In this class we will focus on each type of clause and how to punctuate. We will overcome that punctuation problem which holds up so many students from progressing to further classes.

Students will learn first to recognize the rhetorical elements of logos, pathos and ethos through reading assigned speech(es). They will then write a persuasive essay using these elements. Concepts covered and learned through writing one essay include: punctuation and paragraphing, applying logos, pathos, and ethos in writing, choosing 3 main points (subtopics), note taking, using and documenting sources, writing a thesis statement, writing topic sentences, MLA Format, writing supporting paragraphs, transition sentences, writing an opening paragraph, using Rogerian strategy to write opposing viewpoints, writing refuting paragraphs, and writing a closing paragraph.

Time required: Approximately 4-6 hours per week, plus up to 1 hour weekly online class time.